The Ointment for Success
by ElementsOfSapphire
Summary: RE-VAMPED AND IMPROVED! Steed's been caught by an old enemy and its up to Purdey and Mike to find a way out of this mess... Can they figure it out without the usual help from their team leader? Beta-ing by the sublime Timeless A-peel! (Probably more K rating :D)
1. Chapter 1

The Ointment for Success

By ElementsOfSapphire

DISCLAIMER/Please Note: This/these stories are all purely for fan-fun purposes only; no copyright infringement intended. I own none of the rights relating to either The Avengers, nor The New Avengers; none of the characters, sets, the lot. I'm awfully sorry if posting such stories relating to the show is not allowed or is unwanted. In which case, please accept my every apology and inform me so I can take them down. Once again, I'm just a teen fan that wants to get their work shown and evaluated, so please tell me if its is wished for my story/stories to be taken down- or even my entire username. Thank you :)

Notes: My first, long story! Re-vamped, edited and 101% improved! If you read it before, please try it again: I've tried to make it somewhat more Avengerish and in character- so your opinion would be grand :) Cheers for checking out this story though :D

**Extra special note:** A super extra-special note has to be given to **Timeless** A-peel. There are no words to describe how much of a fangirl I am of this person's work, and the fact they **Beta-ed** this for me, is beyond words! They gave me such in-depth notes and handy tips, and bless their cotton socks- gave me hints throughout the whole story! So here's a MASSIVE thanks to Timeless A-peel for taking the time out to help out a starting writer like me. :)

* * *

Mike Gambit awoke to the blissful shards of summer light that pierced through his front room windows, their golden rays shining on all they could. He smiled through his yawn, lazily pulling himself up to a sitting position so that he could check the time. As beautiful of a morning it appeared to be, something was wrong about the brightness, the glow, the vividness of it all. He picked up the clock and blinked several times to clear the sleepy glaze across his eyes. Ten o'clock? Six o'clock was a lay-in in his business. Surely that couldn't be right? Where was Charlie to waken him? Where was Purdey pounding on his door to lecture him on being late? It wasn't S95 all over again was it...?

Somehow he missed the banner pinned to the side of his wall, and apparently he missed the card and presents stacked by the sofa-bed too. Perhaps it was his sleepy auto-pilot that lead him to the kitchen cupboard to pluck out the bird seed; to pour it on top of the debris of what the bird had already eaten; to wander through to the bathroom without barely batting an eye lid. It was only once he'd splashed some of the Thames water onto his face that he woke up enough to notice the sixteen letters banner that hung beside his bed.

"_Happy Birthday, Mike__,__" _he read aloud, then shookhis head, smirking. Whoever had hung the message had done so stealthily, no doubt whilst he was still asleep. Maybe they had fed Charlie so his song didn't wake him. But _definitely_, they'd come into his flat without asking his permission. And there was only one person in the world that would dare to do that...

"You must be a lonely man to have to say 'Happy Birthday' to yourself," teased a woman, wandering from the spare room. Her hair was a sort of long bob, blonde and well groomed with half of the hair tied up by a scrunchie behind her. Her make-up was elegant, not too thick nor too sparse, and her attire was equally as sweet: small red shorts and a lacy cream t-shirt. Mike sighed momentarily at the jest, taking a seat on the newly retracted sofa-bed. The girl smiled back, taking a present from the side board and offering it to Mike as she took a seat beside him.

"Can you tell me next time you're planning to visit?"

"Would ruin the surprise a bit," she retorted, patting the presents merrily. "Though don't expect any of those to say 'love Purdey'; one of the cards will but none of those wrapped boxes. Those are from Steed and Mother- she sends her love, by the way. She would have come with me but she was called in this morning about those pains again."

"Is she still getting those, then?"

Purdey nodded back in response, her expression remaining serious from having spoken about her mother. She hoped that Tessa would be ok. Then again, any daughter would.

Mike sighed with understanding, pulling at the ribbon of the first present marked 'love Tessa'. He barely knew the woman, though he was glad to have met her; after all, he was one of only two men in the whole of the ministry who could say that, the only other one turning out to be a fraud. Inside the paper was a neatly folded pair of ties, both patterned but one emerald and the other a sort of sapphire colour. He examined them carefully and concluded that he rather liked them, pulling the deep blue one around his neck and allowing Purdey to fix it into place.

"So Steed and even your own mum can offer me a gift... and you can't?"

"Mine comes in two halves," she began, letting the knotted tie fall onto his chest. "You can open one after these two."

"Oh alright," he sighed. Mike picked up the other gift, this one with a sweet little message from Steed printed on the front. '_It may be your birthday, but still: Use me wisely.'_ Inside the parcel was something someone should indeed use wisely: a new handgun, well polished and engraved with the words 'Mike Gambit'. The metal shone so bright in the morning light, and the barrel was as black as a starless sky. It truly was a magnificent piece.

"Well, that did make you smile," Purdey lamented, watching Mike's boyish grin grow as he inspected the device in increasingly further detail. "But I can guarantee you'll smile more at mine."

"Oh?" he quizzed, placing the new gun gently on top of a box of tissues so that it wouldn't be marked or damaged. He'd wanted a tacky, personalised gun for months, and Steed had come through in spades. How would he ever thank the man? "As far as I can see, there isn't anything here from you."

"It doesn't need a box. Honestly Gambit, I thought you were meant to be intelligent."

"I am, and after just over thirty years of birthdays, I can s..."

Gambit had no chance to finish his train of thought. Purdey had silenced him in a way that he would never have moaned about. It was something he never even thought she _would _do. The woman had taken his new tie back into her grasp and softly pulled him closer, placing her lips on his as sweetly as she dared. It wasn't the longest kiss in history, she just made sure he had time to realise properly that he was no longer talking, why he was no longer talking, just _who_ was stopping him, and then an extra moment for him to just enjoy his good fortune. She eventually pulled away to look at his face, and indeed the lady had been true to her words. His smile was one that even a young child at Christmas could not beat, broad and beaming, with his eyes locked on hers.

"What... What was that for?" he asked, trembling slightly and pulling anxiously at his tie.

"Your birthday present. You've been a good friend to me this year, Mike, and I wanted to give you something that would make you smile. It wasn't as expensive as Steed's but... well, you know what I'm like about that sort of thing, so for me it's still giving a lot."

"I know that, Purdey-girl. It was a nice present. Best one I've had in a while."

"The other half you can have later, but I think that's enough for you right now." She smiled, her thoughts centred on his joyous face. _You're so easy to please, Mike Gambit.*sigh* "_But in not too long you'll be having Steed tapping at that door, so I think its best we get you up and dressed."

"Right," he agreed, still very much in a trance. "Wait... Steed?"

"Well it would be an awful surprise birthday party if there weren't any guests, wouldn't it? What time is it?"

"About half ten," he replied, finally realising that his hand was still resting around Purdey's waist and pulling it away rather quickly. He felt slightly surprised that she hadn't grumbled at him, but clearly she was trying hard to think, so he'd ask her later.

"Ten? My watch said it was nine still..."

"Did you put the clock forward? Purdey, isn't that your old watch?"

Purdey looked down to realise that she was indeed wearing the old gold watch her mother had given her when she had her first proper show with the Royal Ballet-the same day she had met Larry. The watch Mike had given her for Christmas was at the jewellers having a new battery fitted, and daylight savings hadn't even crossed her mind. However, having discovered she was now an hour behind, she became overwhelmed with an incredible sense of fear.

"You don't understand, Mike. Steed was meant to arrive forty five minutes ago. He's never late."

"Well... Maybe he's with that delectable Trisha." Mike wasn't mocking the man; he just found it sweet (or at least bizarre) that Steed should have taken up with the woman once again. They'd been apart for quite some time, Mike had almost forgotten about her by the time she somehow wandered back into Steed's affections. His smile however, was promptly misread by Purdey as something _other_ than a fond thought of a friend...

"Nice... is she?" Purdey quipped, smirking playfully.

"I was just quoting you!" he snapped back in defence, slightly more aggressive than he should have perhaps been. Realising his mistake, he shook his head of thoughts and began again, this time much cooler and softer in tone. "Look, Purdey, you have no need to be worried. If he doesn't turn up in say, twenty minutes, we'll give him a ring."

"And if that doesn't work? You know our business, Mike. Being late usually only means one of two things. You've been kidnapped or ki..."

"We'll run round to his in my car and pick him up from the Stud Farm if he doesn't turn up in say," Mike consulted his watch decisively "Thirty minutes. He's a brave man with more than his fair share of experience under the belt. I doubt there's anything to worry about."

Purdey nodded in agreement, feeling both slightly defeated and slightly relieved to have someone as strong as Mike helping her to concrete what she was convincing herself to believe. Thanks to a rather tempestuous past (including Larry), her thoughts and feelings towards those she loved could be a little confused at points. Some days she was quick to leap into action, to fight and defend; some days she simply struggled to think of a rational action. Today, unfortunately, was one of those days.

As time passed by and card games became shorter from lack of concentration, it was agreed that Purdey should phone Steed to try and find the man before they rushed, possibly irrationally, over to the farm. She scooped up the phone from beside Mike's bed, hurriedly tapping in the number for the Steed's abode. She tried several times, becoming more anxious with each attempt as the phone just kept ringing-no answer. She tried Trisha and the Ministry, but McKay hadn't seen him and even Kendrick could only offer his best wishes for their search. On finally realising defeat and placing the receiver down, Gambit scrunched his hands into a ball and let his face rest on them, trying his hardest to think of the next plan of action.

"Where is he, Mike? No one's seen him. Even Trisha said she hadn't heard from him. I don't like this, Mike. I don't like it."

"Neither do I. But we've got to remember it's Steed. No matter what's happened, he's got a better chance of surviving it than most," Mike pointed out. He could see that Purdey was as anxious as he felt. How long had she been in the business now? She should be used to people just disappearing... but she did have a point. It was Steed, _the_ John Steed. If he was on an assignment, he usually told them. Even if he didn't, someone should have known his whereabouts, even if it wasn't them. "Why don't you go and bring my car round?" he suggested. "I'll quickly grab my cardigan. But it still doesn't mean anything. We're used to people going off the grid."

"Alright," she agreed, hurrying across the flat to the front door. Mike made for the spare room within which was his bountiful abundance of cardigans; some hooded, some softer, some patterned, some plain. He picked out his favourite; a smooth white cotton with a rather large hood and closed the cupboard once more. Jogging lightly to begin, his pace soon changed to being much faster as he heard Purdey's mournful cry; her usually placid, luxurious voice breaking into a bark of kinds, intertwined with a deep sniffle.

"Mike! It's Steed! Phone Kendrick now, there isn't time!" Purdey called from just beyond Mike's own door. He couldn't see the woman- she was, perhaps, three or four paces down the communal corridor and blocked by his swinging front door.

"Wha- what should I tell him? Purdey, what's wrong with Steed?!" flapped Mike, his voice loud so to be heard around the door. Not being able to see Steed and pass his own judgement was painful, but he could trust Purdey, and on this occasion it appeared to be paramount that he did.

"Tell him," she started, her voice seemingly as rough as any sandpaper, "Tell him he's about to die and we need help. Hurry!"

Mike repeated everything Purdey had said to the poor secretary at the other end of the line. He spoke clearly, making no mistakes and insisting on instant help; years of service had been kind to Gambit's nerves, and thankfully his message was passed on ever so hastily. Kendrick agreed to come rushing, but as far as Purdey could see, that would be of no help. Steed was growing ever colder, his heart rate dropping even quicker, his eyes shutting ever so ominously.

"How is he?" Gambit asked as he fell beside Purdey, having replaced the receiver and bounded quickly to be with them. "I rang Kendrick; he was getting into his car as we spoke. He said that he shouldn't be too long anyway. It's nowhere near the morning rush hour and... Purdey, why are you staring at him like that? Purdey, what's wrong?"

"You can tell Kendrick not to bother," she replied darkly, her steel green eyes meeting his with what he interpreted to be pure hatred. Not towards him, no; but towards someone else, someone much further off. "This man is dead."


	2. Chapter 2

_CHAPTER 2: Seeking Success._

By ElementsOfSapphire

DISCLAIMER/Please Note: This/these stories are all purely for fan-fun purposes only; no copyright infringement intended. I own none of the rights relating to either The Avengers, nor The New Avengers; none of the characters, sets, the lot. I'm awfully sorry if posting such stories relating to the show is not allowed or is unwanted. In which case, please accept my every apology and inform me so I can take them down. Once again, I'm just a teen fan that wants to get their work shown and evaluated, so please tell me if its is wished for my story/stories to be taken down- or even my entire username. Thank you :)

* * *

"I'm thankful, Gambit, that your judgement was off this time around. Lead poisoning can be rather serious, so I'm thankful I came when I did. But you should know by now that it takes more than an ounce of poison to kill Steed."

Kendrick gladly patted Steed's shoulder. The patient was awake, but only just. Mike sat beside Steed, as he had all this time, watching Kendrick and a nurse working with a great deal of urgency, trying to find the right ointments and bottles to administer to his colleague. He was happy that Steed was such a fighter. He'd been more than a teacher, he was a good friend and Mike was quite unsure just how the Ministry may have coped without him.

"It was Purdey that believed he was as good as dead, actually Kendrick, " he pointed out, turning to face his comrade. "I still had faith in you, Steed."

"That doesn't mean to say he's not a lucky man. Any stronger and he would have been wiped off this earth for good. We'll need to keep taking blood samples, and... oh, here comes nurse now."

In came the nurse once more, her bellowing red-brown hair reminding Mike warmly of when he'd first been introduced to Purdey; it was the same colour, same style, same length... but no, Purdey had worn it much better. The woman's white and blue dress hung to just below the knees, revealing in time a well-polished pair of patent leather shoes. She seemed fond enough of Steed. She'd probably heard of him, as nothing seemed to be too much trouble where Steed was concerned.

"I have everything, sir. Shall I take the sample?" she inquired to Kendrick, holding up a syringe and bottle. She held her right hand strongly behind her back, looking like a guard of sorts. _How professional,_ Mike admired. He wasn't sure he'd be as dispassionate if he were in her shoes.

"Yes, go ahead my dear. He should still be quite intoxicated; I'm quite surprised you've come around so quickly. Quite a fighter, aren't you, Steed?"

The nurse nodded to the doctor, walking to the other side of the bed to take a sample from his opposite arm. Steed beckoned weakly to Gambit, who crouched to talk to Steed face to face.

"What is it, Steed?" he whispered, gathering that his colleague didn't want the other occupants of the room to overhear. John winced in pain, his head pounding and his eyes burning. He was exhausted, too tired to be doing anything really, but he simply had to speak to Gambit. It was vital.

"Mike..." he began as the familiar warm shot of a needle hit his arm once again. "The bottle... Don't let them u..."

"Steed? Steed?" called Mike, but it was too late. Presumably summoning the energy to wake up had drained far too many of the man's resources. It was a pity, though. The way Steed had been so assertive that he, Mike, should listen to him, made Gambit only worry more. What if he knew something about who poisoned him? What if he was going to warn him? But then again, knowing Steed, he could have been making a bottle related pun before asking for the cricket scores. The point was, Mike wouldn't know now, not until Steed woke up again, but he didn't have time to wait. He and Purdey were searching for the plotter. But he desperately wanted to know what Steed had wanted to say. "How long is he likely to sleep for?"

"A good eight, nine hours, sir," replied the nurse, gathering up her tray again and hurrying out of the room behind Kendrick, leaving Gambit with no leads or clues of any kind. He could only hope that Purdey was having more luck...

VVVVV

Purdey rapped on the front door to Trisha's flat. It was not only her intention to inform her colleague's girlfriend that he was in fact critically ill, but also to investigate whether Trisha herself had any idea as to what could possibly be going on. She must have knocked a good five times, waiting a minute or two between each tap before calling through the door instead.

"Hello, Trisha? Trisha, are you home? I need to tell you about Steed, he's really not well... Trisha, can I come in?" Still no response. "Bother." She sighed, pushing a neatly manicured hand through clumps of her growing hair. She needed to search the flat to see if there was something incriminating, or if Trisha had also been poisoned. Coming back to check later was not an option as far as Purdey was concerned. She searched for a while through the innards of her purse, glancing furtively over her shoulders now and then to make sure that no one was watching. Eventually her hand fell upon the item she required and so she whipped it out of the bag as quick as she could. A hair pin was all that one needed to enter a door in this business, and a hair pin Purdey had. She made quick work of the lock, picking it in less than a minute prior to giving it a steady push, and letting it swing open smoothly, giving her access to the flat's interior.

The flat itself wasn't particularly special or incriminating. Of course there were a few guns, some sort of test tubes, and container after container of painkillers, but Trisha was only a young agent, and no doubt she was yet to grow accustomed to the pains gained after a day in the field. Apart from that, the flat contained only the usual household items. Purdey did check in a few drawers, behind mirrors and under a few cushions, but could only sigh and leave the flat when she realised that there was evidently nothing there to help her on her quest. She needed to find Trisha. That was the only way to get any real answers. Perhaps she would be at the Ministry. Purdey was going to find Mike anyway, so she might as well detour a bit and check to see if the woman was around.

VVVVVV

"_There will be NO unnecessary deaths, do you understand? Purdey and Gambit are only doing their job trailing us around, searching for clues; my dear fellows, they have done nothing wrong."_

"_Yes but sir, Steed was trying to tell Gambit (it makes more sense for them to call him this. Mike is a little too intimate for someone who doesn't really know Gambit very well, and is planning to kill him) just before I dosed him again this morning. What if he awakens when we're not around? Then what?"_

"_My dear girl, you are not to even contemplate leaving that bed side ever again. It's your job to be a busy bee bustling around. All nurses do the same."_

"_But Sir, she has a point. The girl was in my flat today. What if they find something? They're too good to miss everything the-"_

"_No Trisha! They are nothing without Steed. Don't you understand? Surely you remember how close they were when you were first in Steed's life. That's the beauty of it all! While they're fussing over Steed, we can listen in on all of their discussions, on everything from yesterday's dinner to the next Ministry assignment. They have to trust you two. You are both figures they have to rely on. And when we've heard enough, we can... 'take care of Steed'. They can be moved up into his position and... and what, Trisha?"_

"_And we can eventually step in and seize the Ministry."_

"_Precisely; so I dare say its time you, Nurse, waddle back over to that ward. Take care of our patient and report back tonight__.__ I'll tell you when he's said enough."_

VVVVVV

"But I'd told mother before, I don't _need_ a husband. I've tried all that before. It just wasn't the right sort of game for me, you know?" prattled Purdey, shoving two or three marshmallows into her mouth and clumsily offering Mike one. He knew she was only being polite, and knew from experience that one didn't simply take one of her beloved, honoured marshmallows.

"No thanks," he dismissed, pushing the bag from in his face. "But that wasn't what I meant when I said 'give me the lo-down'... I meant: how was Trisha?"

"Oh! Oh I have no idea. Flat was clear, she wasn't there, isn't here. I have no idea where she is at all to be honest."

"The flat was clear?" asked Mike, shuffling over slightly so that the nurse could continue to wipe down the surfaces. _Honestly, can't she see we're trying to talk?_

"Mm," responded Purdey as another sweet bounced around in her mouth. "Only the usual tubes and guns and bottles. Nothing we're not used to."

"Well, we'll still have to find her sooner than later. I'd be annoyed if I found out no one had told me my partner was in hospitable."

"Mike, you don't _have _a partner," Purdey reminded, swaying out of the way of the nurse as the woman decided to attack John's bed from the other side this time, dabbing and jabbing with a multitude of cleaning concoctions.

"Alright, you then." He smirked at Purdey, despite being aggravated by the gnat of a nurse. The woman never seemed to leave them be, constantly fluttering about performing tasks that he really didn't consider to be necessary. The flowers were new and didn't need dead-heading, the desk she'd wiped only moments before, and as for making the patient a cup of tea, couldn't she see that the man was still asleep?

"Anyway, moving on," he continued, frowning in annoyance at the fluttering nurse. "That Royalty Job next week. Do you think McKay will want us to go on without Steed or will they call someone else in?"

"Well it's just keeping an eye on the palace for an hour or two. Nothing major has ever happened before. They'll probably just get us to tail the carriage in a car and turn off as they reach the gates. We shouldn't need Steed for that."

"True," he agreed, frowning again as the nurse reached down over him without even a hint of an apology. "They might even call Trisha to help, just to make sure there are three of us."

"But she's a first year. Why would she get to work with us?"

"If I remember rightly, _you_ were a first year when you were assigned by Steed to work alongside me. Sometimes there are circumstances where a young mind could come in handy and sometimes—" He paused, looking Purdey from head to toe and back again, his face plastered with a rather disconcerting grin. "Sometimes, the first years are just... special."

"Oh, so she's delectable AND special now? Should I tell Steed about your recent little confessions, or is it something you should probably keep to yourself?"

"Purdey," he sighed, more serious now than he had been. "You know very well I meant you. Besides, why _are _you so jealous of Trisha?"

"Jealous?" Purdey scoffed, pouring the last of the mini marshmallows into her mouth in disgust.

"Not worried you'll lose my devoted attraction to you as I flip to her instead, are you?"

"Honestly Mike, you think you're God's gift to women, don't you? Do you think he is, nurse?"

"I, err," the woman stumbled, not entirely sure what to reply. "He is rather charming."

Purdey sighed into her hands, shaking her head in disagreement. There was no point arguing, she knew very well that Mike liked to get her wound up. She was aware that it made him laugh to see her scrapping in frustration. "Mike Gambit, if it wasn't your birthday I swear I would have hit you by now..." she grumbled, reaching into her purse to collect and open yet another bag of those delightful gelatine joys.

VVVV

"_And they definitely said that Trisha would be called in to help?"_

"_Well, no, they said that she probably would be. It wasn't confirmed. But they were sure they'd carry on with the assignment."_

"_And you're certain of that?"_

"_Yes, sir. Purdey made it sound rather simple, so I believe that it's almost certain that they will continue."_

"_Ah, well that's good enough for me, my dear. You hear that, Trisha? Looks like you'd better get your practice in. We need McKay to love you. We need you to be the best you possibly can."_

"_And me... shall I just continue to nurse the man?"_

"_Oh no my dear lady! No no, we needn't waste time with him anymore. We've got all we need. You can increase his dose in the morning. He's no longer needed on this earth."_


	3. Chapter 3

_CHAPTER 3: To See Her Suffer._

By ElementsOfSapphire

DISCLAIMER/Please Note: This/these stories are all purely for fan-fun purposes only; no copyright infringement intended. I own none of the rights relating to either The Avengers, nor The New Avengers; none of the characters, sets, the lot. I'm awfully sorry if posting such stories relating to the show is not allowed or is unwanted. In which case, please accept my every apology and inform me so I can take them down. Once again, I'm just a teen fan that wants to get their work shown and evaluated, so please tell me if its is wished for my story/stories to be taken down- or even my entire username. Thank you :)

* * *

"Purdey, Purdey, Purdey, Purdey, Purdey, Purdey, Pu-"

"WHAT?" hollered a tired, aggravated woman. It wasn't so much that Mike had broken in to her flat that had annoyed her so, nor was it because he wandered into her bedroom and pushed her off the bed. It wasn't even the fact that he had then proceeded to poke her repeatedly in the arm in order to gain her attention. It was simply the fact that he had decided to do all this at three o'clock in the morning. And on a Sunday, too. Gambit bent down beside her, slotting a small box into her purse as he did. Now probably wasn't the time to be thinking of birthday thank-yous, but he knew he should probably do something whilst he remembered...

"Purdey, are you awake?" he inquired rather desperately, leaning over to look at her face. She snarled as he came into focus, pulling up the duvet from the bed to cover herself once again.

"No, I'm fast asleep. Go away, Mike," she lied, shutting her eyes together so tight that even super glue would have been less useful.

"Purdey-girl, this is serious. Look!"

Mike pulled one of the small bottles Purdey had seen the previous day from his trouser pocket, shaking it urgently in her face. His unsteady movement not only made the poor woman dizzy, but also made the label completely illegible to his comrade.

"What does it say?" she yawned lazily, still not as interested as she probably should have been.

"Lead hydroxide!"

"Lead what? Where did you get it from, Gambit?"

"Lead hydroxide! I found it in Trisha's flat about an hour ago," he began. Purdey, interest piqued, pulled herself upright into a sitting position beside Mike. "Remember that nurse, and the way she just kept hovering about? I knew something wasn't quite right the second you left the hospital last night. As soon as you were gone, she quit fluttering around us. It was as though she had everything she needed. I went to Trisha's flat this morning to warn her that some strange things are going on, and she wasn't in again. These are lead, Purdey! Steed was poisoned with lead! And why did the nurse always stand so that we couldn't watch her draw Steed's blood? Because she was injecting him with the colourless lead solution first, then using the same syringe to take his blood."

"So he couldn't speak, but we'd stay on and discuss things between us," Purdey finished. What a truly despicable plan! She hoped for Steed's sake that they were missing something, that the nurse was truly just being diligent, but the plot made so much sense. There was only one question: "Why do they want to kill him, Mike?"

"I think you hit the nail on the head last night, Purdey-girl. 'Why would they get in a first year?'... Why indeed? Let's say you have a nurse and a first year... you kill off a senior, people are going to have to move up, aren't they. What if Trisha was promoted to our position, and we're moved up to Steed's?"

"Then we could be conveniently killed off and they would have high-ranking agents in the Ministry."

"Precisely, and what would be a better way to prove your worth than during an assignment involving national security?"

Purdey could feel her blood running cold as the ominous prospect lingered in her mind. How clever of them to use Trisha, the one woman the Ministry would be most likely to trust, knowing that THE John Steed had trusted her. Steed's judgement was considered to be one of the best, if not the best in the business, and no one would take it lightly. Using her would be the key to the conspirators working up the ladder, until they found a way to succeed both her AND Mike. It would be difficult to convince others of Trisha's involvement. How would anything Gambit or Purdey could say or do be worth more than what the legendary Steed had left behind? It was best for them to sort out the issues themselves, before Trisha and her co-conspirators took them out long before the job did.

"What are we going to do, Gambit?" she questioned, linking his arm in hers. Mike seemed to be glaring into the distance, his concentration focused upon a sweet photo Purdey had on one of her cream side boards. The picture was of the trio, Purdey and Mike arm in arm with a rather gentlemanly Steed leaning lightly upon his umbrella to the other side of the frame. _No one takes our comrade, our tutor. No one is going to take our friend._

"We," he announced, his gaze unwavering, "are going to find, and save, Steed."

VVVV

"Hello, nurse. And how's the patient?" Mike inquired, following the woman hastily along the corridor to Kendrick's surgery, Purdey following inches behind.

"He's, um... bearing up very well thank you," the woman lied, keeping her head held low and her paces large and prompt.

"We'd like to check on him, please?"

"That's forbidden until Dr. Kendrick gets here."

"You're about to do another blood test. Why don't we come and watch?" The woman didn't answer. She simply kept her attention on the clipboard in front of her, pretending to be busy as she continued to rush along. "No? Purdey, it looks like we'll have to make our own way in."

Mike instinctively lunged forward, Purdey in hot pursuit. His foot sliced the air like a knife to water and seemed to be in line directly for the nurse's skull, a clean knock out. However, this woman was well trained, and hence ducked in a timely fashion, swirling around and dragging her fountain pen along Mike's arm. He cried in agony, falling to the floor, his leg still pointing out in a vain attempt to trip the woman. Purdey eyed her with sincere hatred, glaring with poisonous intent. First she'd hurt Steed, then Mike Gambit; now, she would pay. She ran forward, blocking a blow to her face with raised arms as the nurse grabbed a chair sitting in the corridor and swung it at her head. Panache training proved to be useful as Purdey jumped extraordinarily high into the air, her foot following the nurse's head to the floor as she fell. The chair had indeed hurt her arm, but the pain Purdey suffered was none to what the nurse felt.

"Nothing," Purdey spat toward the nurse, "Is forbidden to me."

Kendrick wandered from the safety of surgery, clearly drawn by the noise in the corridor. He regarded the couple sitting on the floor; one with a significant cut, the other what appeared to be a nicely bruising arm. They were lucky that he was on an early shift that morning compared to his usual six o'clock start. The doctor was able to bandage them up with sincere care, sending them home with the promise that he would indeed look after Steed until their return. He saw to the nurse being escorted far from the scene and to questionings with help from McKay, biding a rather nervous-to-know-what-was-happening pair away and to their beds. Kendrick was a good man, a true good egg, unlikely to be working with Trisha or the nurse, and the pair knew that they could trust him to look out for Steed's welfare in the interim.

But it doesn't matter how good an egg any doctor is, not if he needs to nip out for fresh supplies, and all of Kendrick's syringes were in a cupboard in the next room. He knew he wouldn't be long, a few minutes at the most, but if he was going to properly care for Steed, it was vital that he had the correct equipment. And what if the others on the ward were as corrupt as the previous nurse he'd encountered? What if there was more than just her after Steed? No, sending anyone else would be foolish. He wouldn't be long, anyway.

"I'll be two minutes, Steed. Just fetching some new needles from the cupboard. I won't be long..."

VVVV

"_Where are they, Trisha? Steed was meant to be here half an hour ago."_

"_Perhaps it was Purdey and Gambit, sir. They're awfully protective of their friend."_

"_But the nurse had her orders. No, she wouldn't have failed me. She knows how I long for my revenge. She'd never let me down."_

"_Sir, they're top agents. What if they've found the nurse out? You know how well-trained they are. They've been under Steed's guidance for a few years now."_

"What do you suggest_, Trisha?"_

"_Shouldn't we... check?"_

"_Very well. We'll collect the body ourselves."_

VVVV

When Purdey awoke once more in her flat, she knew something wasn't right. The clock beside her told her it was only four in the morning, but even though she was tired, and her brain probably wasn't functioning properly, she could sense that something was very wrong, though she didn't know what. She reached across the bed to the phone, groaning as the stitches in her arm stretched with the movement. She dialled the number for Kendrick's surgery several times, as well as the one for the Stud farm, but there was no answer... why would there be, he was supposed to be in hospital? It was just as she feared, something was wrong, and she had an awful feeling it involved Steed.

"Mike, it's Purdey. Kendrick isn't answering. He promised he'd stay with Steed, and I know there's a phone in that room. Get round to Trisha's flat now. I'll check Steed's in case he's been released, and then I'll join you at her flat. Right?" Purdey went to place the receiver down, but then remembered something extra... Oh, and Mike? Thanks for the chocolates- they were good."

VVVV

"Steed!" called Mike, bursting through the flat door to see his comrade both ill and tired, propped up awkwardly in an under-padded chair. He strode over to be beside the man, tapping his face lightly to see if there was any chance he was awake, or, on the more depressing side of the spectrum, whether he was alive at all. Steed was breathing, that was for sure, but his heart rate was awfully erratic.

"Standing there won't save him, Mr Gambit," bellowed a voice from the darker depths of the room. Out of the shadows came a large man, cloaked in what appeared to be a teal coloured wrap, finely embroidered with little dragons and lucky cats. He wore a hat too, black at the base but predominantly made red by the peak that stuck up in the middle. This was a man that Mike had seen before, but had hoped so keenly he'd never see again.

"Soo Choy. What a lovely surprise. Come for round two, have you?" he snarled, keeping a hand on Steed as he kept his eyes transfixed on the new-found threat.

"No, Mr Gambit. Not round two: but hopefully many successful rounds to my favour. Honour, Mr Gambit, is a treasured thing where I am from, and that, you took from me. To see you suffer, would bring all that plus more back to me. So no, this is not round two, but merely the beginnings to a whole, new biased match."

Out from the shadows came a slimmer figure, that of a woman. She was thin and elegant. She had a gun in a holster attached to her belt. Her smile was cruel and unforgiving, and she was clutching a rather evil looking syringe. Mike couldn't see her; how could he see anything from behind? But feel her- that he could; the smoky warmth of her breath on his neck. He hadn't sensed her arrival and felt a fool. A complete and utter fool.

He hadn't long to think, however as Trisha sunk the needle deep into Mike's neck, making certain that the entire dose of the lead hydroxide entered his blood stream. Any less and he could possibly totter on back to Purdey, but anymore and he would be lying cold and dead on the floor within minutes. This wasn't child's play. This was about precision, and, ultimately, exacting the perfect revenge.

"It's only a low dose; you'll go to sleep for a few hours, just like your colleague, Mr Gambit," Trisha said with a smirk, before walking back to stand beside Soo Choy, pride written across her features, still brandishing the steel metal needle and syringe.

"Why aren't you going to kill us?" breathed Gambit as the overwhelming tiredness began to swamp his every muscle. His instincts were yelling at him to move, to stand and defend both himself and his colleague. But he was poisoned now, sickly and weakened.

"Like I said, Mr Gambit, I_ want_ to see you suffer. Why would I kill you now when I can kill _her_ first? All alone, completely reliant on that little, yellow car of hers. Think how you'll suffer Mr Gambit, think of the pain. Think, my friend, of the revenge"


	4. Chapter 4

_CHAPTER 4: The Final Dosage._

By ElementsOfSapphire

DISCLAIMER/Please Note: This/these stories are all purely for fan-fun purposes only; no copyright infringement intended. I own none of the rights relating to either The Avengers, nor The New Avengers; none of the characters, sets, the lot. I'm awfully sorry if posting such stories relating to the show is not allowed or is unwanted. In which case, please accept my every apology and inform me so I can take them down. Once again, I'm just a teen fan that wants to get their work shown and evaluated, so please tell me if its is wished for my story/stories to be taken down- or even my entire username. Thank you :)

* * *

Having left Steed's rather extravagant abode, Purdey didn't really want to have to make any stops between the house and Kendrick's surgery. However, her car insisted otherwise, the fuel monitor glaring devilishly towards her, warning her that she would have no option but to make a short pit stop. True, it was still only very early morning, so the pumps would most likely be clear and there shouldn't be any queues. But all the same, the stop would still waste those precious, precious seconds.

She pulled over mournfully into the petrol station, jumping out of the car as quickly as possible, and filling up with as little fuel as she dared. The pumps were slow, so the less time she spent filling up, the less time she would waste. Purdey was rather fortunate that day, despite how gloomy it was shaping up to be. To her luck, Trevor (a rather greasy fifty something, who, despite his awkward appearance, had a heart of gold and a soft spot for the woman) was on the till, and having glanced out of the window and seeing that Purdey was in a hurry, simply waved her off. He knew he could trust her to pay later, and she was _ever _so grateful to his gesture. She waved promptly back at him through the glass before clambering back into her car, throwing her not-needed purse onto the back seat, and screeching back out of the station. _Back to Gambit, and pronto._

It must be noted, that during her brief stay to fill up the car, Purdey had failed to notice one very important occurrence. Whilst preoccupied with both thoughts of Steed and the progress of the petrol gauge, she hadn't seen the woman on the other side of her car. It was Trisha, and in her hand was a large screw which she used to jab multiple times at both of the left hand tires. Purdey hadn't seen or noticed a thing, nor did she pay much attention to the vehicle that followed her almost all of the way back to the Ministry's medical department. It was a place that no agent wanted to spend much time, not because it would probably mean they were critically injured, but because every other man in the room was almost certain to die. And that could wreak havoc on morale. It was a sad place, and almost always filled with the inexperienced first years, those who hadn't prepared themselves for the rigours of the job. Those who would almost certainly die.

She was mere metres away from the turning for the Ministry when Purdey jumped in surprise. A cacophonous bursting noise shook her eardrums. The car began to judder continuously, leading Purdey to pull it over to take a closer look. On examination she found two burst tyres, both on the left hand side, to which she sighed in annoyance. _Why now of all times? _Concluding that it would only take her about twenty seconds to sprint round to the building, she decided to ditch the car, swinging the back door open to grab her purse. She didn't know who was at Kendrick's surgery, but no doubt someone would have a car she could borrow. Perhaps it was fortunate she'd decided to double check here before joining Gambit. She may have never made it to the flat with her car...

"I'm glad I caught you, Purdey. I was afraid I'd miss you."

The figure stood beside Purdey, looming ominously over her. She slowly pulled herself out from the car, bag in hand. She could feel the cool touch of metal upon her neck, eyebrows climbing in anxiety as the weapon pressed harder and harder against her skin.

"What do you want from us, Trisha?" Purdey questioned in a steady voice, too experienced to be cocky, too strong to play scared.

"Oh, I don't want them," replied Trisha, bringing the hand not holding the gun she pressed to her neck in front of Purdey's face so she could show her the syringe it held. She pressed the syringe against her neck, then dropped the other weapon with confidence, holding Purdey in check with the same device she'd used only half an hour ago on her victim's colleagues. Purdey gasped at the stinging sensation in her neck as she felt as the needle jab in, the prick about two inches up from her shoulders.

"Just you," The woman finished, pushing the solution from the tube and into Purdey's stretched neck. She waited for her more experienced colleague to fall to the floor before heading back to her car to pull it forward a bit. Purdey was extremely dainty, albeit tall, and hence weighed not much more than a leaf, but Trisha had no intention of dragging the body back to her car when she could bring the car to Purdey just as easily.

"I don't think so, Trisha," called a voice from the gates to the Ministry. Out from the morning shadows strode Kendrick, calm and collected, and holding a small gun. It was then that Trisha regretted her overconfidence, and realised her error in getting rid of her gun. Kendrick pulled the trigger without hesitation, aiming directly at Trisha. He took no pleasure in watching her fall. As a Ministry man, he had the right to shoot and kill when under duress, but as a doctor, he much preferred saving lives to taking them. Although, he could see this was a kill to save situation, and right now, Purdey was in preference.

Before him lay the bodies of two women, one just about breathing, the other growing colder by the minute. Trisha had turned out to be a traitor, so his immediate loyalty was to Purdey, whom he went to without hesitation. Her eyes were fluttering, but he was satisfied that she would survive. _She must be a fighter_, he concluded, noting that most people who took such a high dose of lead wouldn't normally stand so much of a chance.

"Purdey? It's Kendrick." He smiled down at her reassuringly, using his arm to partially prop her up. "Now my dear, we're going to get you back to my surgery, but you need to listen to me. It's very important, all right?" Purdey managed a slight nod, before returning to her weak, limp state. "Where are Steed and Gambit? I need to find them in case Trisha got to them, too. Do you know where they are?"

"Her flat," she breathed, eyes struggling to stay open, and head tottering against his arm.

"What, Trisha's?" She nodded, collapsing onto him, her eyes shutting completely. "Come on, let's get you somewhere safe," he concluded, scooping her up and hurrying back to his surgery.

VVV

"Do not concern yourself, Mr Gambit. My colleague and your girlfriend will join us very soon."

Both Steed and Mike had awoken far too early in Soo Choy's opinion. His hope was for them to wake up with the girl already in place, so that they could watch as he injected the last, lethal dose of lead hydroxide. However, all had not gone to plan, and while neither of them were the picture of health, they were fighting the effects of the poison better than he had estimated.

"I'm not worrying, and she is not my girlfriend," snarled Gambit, trying his hardest to pull from the chains which bound both him and his comrade to the sofa.

"Oh, that is sad. Such a handsome man and beautiful young lady would suit one another so well. But you won't be sad for long, oh no. When they arrive, Purdey shall be injected once more, but this time lethally, but it will be a slow enough process for you to watch. And once she's no longer with us, you two can also... _leave."_

"What makes you think that it will be us that leave; it could be you, Soo choy," Mike shot back again. He continued to struggle against the chains, trying his hardest to be freed of their punishing clamp.

"I doubt it, Mr Gambit, after all, I... What is he doing? Mr Steed, what are you doing?" Soo Choy looked upon John with a sense of urgency. His eyes fell upon the syringe the agent now had in his hand. No one had paid much attention to the man whilst Gambit and Soo argued, meaning that sneaking the lethal device from the sideboard wasn't as difficult as some may have presumed.

"Just... borrowing this," Steed said cheerfully, lifting the object in his hand to show Soo choy his intention to use the thing.

"No, Mr Steed, you cannot do that. You MUST see the girl!" Soo Choy ran to the man, stopping in front and swinging his arms around wildly in an attempt to grab hold of the evil thing. But Steed was too quick, and in the work of a moment, Soo was no longer standing, but instead found himself on the floor, pinned beneath Steed's foot with the needle millimetres from his neck.

"Looks like he couldn't take his own medicine," mused Mike, prodding the man on the floor with a well polished shoe.

"No. Clearly that wasn't his ointment for success," Steed replied with a slight grin.

"But," said a voice as a man appeared at the doorway, "clearly you two could use my help." Kendrick wandered in to look at the scene, taking a pair of handcuffs from Mike's back pocket and tightening them around the villain's legs. Next, having collected a knife from Trisha's kitchen, he hacked away at the chain's padlock which constrained the agents, receiving bountiful thanks as the pair left the seat.

"Where's Purdey?" inquired Mike, as he both himself and Steed were supported by Kendrick en route to his car.

"She's resting in the surgery" puffed the doctor from the weight of the two men.

"Is she ok?" Mike continued, lifting Steed into the back seat and climbing in himself.

Kendrick started the motor and began to set off en route back to his surgery. "We'll find out when we get back," he replied with a small smile, returning his attention to the road.

VVV

"...Happy Birthday to you," the crowd finished their tune as a rather rosy-red Mike blew out the candles. Five or six figures surrounded him, each cheering merrily in the confinements of his flat as he opened his eyes again after making a wish. Steed was there, as was Kendrick. McKay had arrived late with Sandra and Phil, Mike's friend from the old days, who had apologised profusely for being only two minutes late. He smiled at them all, offering the knife to Steed so he could cut everyone a slice of cake. Having received his own, he wandered away from the kitchen and to the sofa bed, besides which rested a small photo of him and that one missing person. John watched as Gambit walked away, keeping his smile fixed but knowing inside that Mike would much sooner go back to his smaller, lonelier party of the previous year. It may have just been him and her, but at least she _was _there.

He took the photo into his grasp, placing the cake beside him so he could take the frame with both hands. _A year tomorrow, _he reminded himself, tracing her infectious smile and big bright eyes. No one had ever been able to make him smile like she did; no one ever woke him up by purely being irritating; no one ever could make him want to face the worst day, like she did. This time, 1978, he lost his best friend to some disgusting woman who, having recovered from her own shot, was now doing time in prison. And she hadn't even received life.

That picture he held was just one of an entire album he kept out of sight. Only Purdey had ever known it existed. They'd called it 'Our Album' and inside were photos of their every memorable trip, their favourite Christmas presents and their greatest memories. He wanted to pluck it and hold it close to him, try and convince himself for a moment that she was still there, that the album had photos yet to come. But he couldn't, and it didn't.

He sat in silent for some time, until eventually he felt the weight of someone's hand upon his shoulder. The touch was cold, freezing almost, but more worryingly, familiar in the wrong way.

"I broke my promise, Mike," whispered a voice, breath cool upon his neck. "I never gave you the other half of your present, did I?"

In front of him now stood a woman he had only dreamed of seeing again, had longed for so desperately. He held out his hand as though to stroke her chin, but stopped as the freezing chill hit his fingers, making his spine shudder coldly.

"I... I don't mind," he breathed back, never letting his eyes fall from hers. She smiled weakly, gently leaning forward and bringing the cool breeze with her.

"I do," she stated before letting her icy lips meet his. They stayed in the kiss for only a few seconds before Purdey pulled back, keeping the same, weak smile. "I miss you, Mike," she whispered, holding onto one of his hands ever so delicately.

"I miss you too." He smiled, letting his fingers intertwine with hers.

"You'll see me again soon. I promise."

"How will I find you?" Mike inquired, holding tighter onto her hand as the fully fleshed body began to dissolve into some sort of silhouette.

"Go to my flat, I'll meet you there someday," she soothed as her hand his lost grip. He followed the dying outline in pain, hoping somehow it wasn't an illusion and that Purdey had actually been there, in that room. But it was not to be, and eventually what had been the woman became once again just a view of his wall.

Mike scanned the room briefly, observing his guests with little thought attached. He looked shortly at Steed. He was used to losing friends, he'd learnt to cope with it. True, Purdey's _sleep_ had lingered with him for far longer than even he had expected, but for Mike, Kendrick's solemn head shake was as gutting now as it ever had been.

With Purdey around, Mike had never had a chance to realise how lonely he actually was, how little there was he could do with the others in the Ministry. With Purdey, every evening was filled with pointless games or dinners out; anything that would make them cry with laughter.

Now he was almost completely alone. No family, no pets; just Steed. Even Charlie had begun to show a preference for his neighbours. The Ministry had continued to function perfectly well without him these last six months. Clearly he wasn't needed there, either. In fact, there wasn't _anywhere _he needed to be, just places he was invited to.

Two days time and she'd be gone. Forever. For good. The machine switched off by one smooth hand stroke by Kendrick. They didn't know what he knew; how he was so sure that just a little more time would be all it took for Purdey-girl to wake up. He was angry at them for their impatience as much as he was angry at himself for being the fool to get kidnapped all that time ago...

Mike switched his focus to the gun that lay beside the sofa bed, the one John had so kindly bought for him the previous year. It lay exactly where it had been placed when Purdey had still been in that room, and only tonight would he consider lifting it one more time.

And for the last time.

VVV

"You're extremely early!" Purdey quipped as Mike barged through her front door, marshmallows in his hand and a grin on his face.

"Ah, well, I thought I'd try and catch you unprepared," he replied with a smirk, collapsing into her sofa and shuffling over a spot so that she could join him.

"At what?"

"You name it!" He smirked again, pointing at the looming games cupboard not three paces away.

"We've been a bit out of practice this year in all of them, so we'd better make up for it."

"Yes," replied Purdey, tapping him on the knee in the friendliest manor. "I missed your company."

"You're telling me! But hey, Purdey-girl, that doesn't matter anymore, does it? All that does matter is that we're out of shape as far as those games are concerned, and we have an awful lot of time to make up for. You were asleep for quite some time there."

"Exactly, we've got plenty of time for that." Purdey reached across Mike and stealthily took hold of his marshmallows. Seeing Gambit reaching out to grab them back, she panicked and stuffed half a dozen into her mouth at once, reminding the man of a rather cute hamster. He instantly fell into laughter at her face, blowing out his cheeks in mock humour. She pushed him back with her free hand, trying her best to contain the laughter and the gelatine within her mouth.

Her hand had landed but several centimetres away from a rather large hole in Mike's chest, the T-shirt surrounding it painted crimson. He was glad her aim had been quite so accurate; he knew the pain would have been next to crippling if not. Mike didn't ponder on his near-pain experience, and instead he retaliated with a light nudge himself (which as you can probably guess, lead them into a rather amusing battle). He was glad to have his best friend back; and she was relieved to finally have hers too.

_This, _Mike told himself, _IS home now._


	5. Alternate end :)

ALTERNATE ENDING:

By ElementsOfSapphire

DISCLAIMER/Please Note: This/these stories are all purely for fan-fun purposes only; no copyright infringement intended. I own none of the rights relating to either The Avengers, nor The New Avengers; none of the characters, sets, the lot. I'm awfully sorry if posting such stories relating to the show is not allowed or is unwanted. In which case, please accept my every apology and inform me so I can take them down. Once again, I'm just a teen fan that wants to get their work shown and evaluated, so please tell me if its is wished for my story/stories to be taken down- or even my entire username. Thank you :)

* * *

"...Happy Birthday to you," the crowd finished their tune as a rather rosy-red Mike blew out the candles. Five or six figures surrounded him, each cheering merrily in the confinements of his flat as he opened his eyes again after making a wish. Steed was there, as was Kendrick. McKay had arrived late with Sandra and Phil, Mike's friend from the old days, who had apologised profusely for being only two minutes late. He smiled at them all, offering the knife to Steed so he could cut everyone a slice of cake. Having received his own, he wandered away from the kitchen and to the sofa bed, besides which rested a small photo of him and that one missing person. John watched as Gambit walked away, keeping his smile fixed but knowing inside that Mike would much sooner go back to his smaller, lonelier party of the previous year. It may have just been him and her, but at least she _was _there.

It was a nice birthday party, but with _her _missing, it could never be the best.

"Do you often stare at that photo. If so, should I be worried?" came a voice from just behind him. A ghost of a smile slowly began to creep on to his lips as he turned to reply, shaking his head in mock disapproval.

"You're late, aren't you?" he said with a smirk, watching the woman as she took a seat next to him.

"You should be thankful I came at all... Mother sends her wishes"

Mike had forgotten that, where Purdey had been and why she was late. He couldn't have felt more evil but Purdey didn't seem to be annoyed with his lapse in memory at all. If anything, she was still smiling as brightly as when he first turned around. "How is she doing?" he wanted to know, sounding as concerned as he felt inside.

"She's getting there. It's why I came today. She's making good progress now; it has been a year."

"And your neck, how's the um... you know." Mike pointed to his own neck as though to show Purdey where he meant. He needn't have bothered, she knew what he was talking about. How could she forget? It was there forever now.

"The scar? It's getting better. Give me your hand," she said sweetly. She took one of Gambit's hands in her own, pressing it lightly on the raised skin. His finger ran along the scar, the larger spot where the needle had gone in and then down the trail where Trisha had dragged it along. Inside he felt sick, mad at the woman for hurting Purdey like this, for leaving a scar on her otherwise perfect skin. Purdey had removed her hand some time ago, but Mike remained transfixed, his thoughts running wild and his finger continuously tracing the mark. Eventually he snapped out of it, looking up and meeting her eyes with his own. He removed his hand, covering the scar back up with a lock of her growing hair, patting it kindly. "Are those... marshmallows?" she inquired to break the silence, her eye sight falling to his uneaten slice of birthday cake.

"Of course; I asked for them especially. I told them 'She won't eat the cake if they're not on there'."

"Thank you, Mike. It's good cake," she replied between bites. He hadn't noticed her take the plate, nor did he mind. He just watched in amusement at how easily pleased this woman could be with just a handful of marshmallow. _Remarkable_, he thought to himself_._

"Oh, and I almost forgot. Happy Birthday!" Purdey leant behind the sofa and pulled out a large, wrapped box. Mike studied it carefully, considering whether to open it or not. Where Purdey was concerned, one could never be sure if it was genuine or some sort of hidden practical joke. After a lot of urging on Purdey's behalf, he decided to open the gift, pulling at the satin bow to reveal a certain game he was fond of. A certain board game that they were_ both _fond of.

Yet, no matter how happy he was with the gift, one thing could not go unnoticed...

"Purdey... It's -"

"Open? I know. I thought, seeing as I'll be the only one who ever plays it with you, I might as well make it a bit more fun. You'll find that all the 'M's and 'P's are missing, just to make it a bit harder..."

"How will we spell our names now?" he quipped, noticing the significance of the letters she'd chosen to remove.

"And I forgot to give you the other part last year, so um... Happy Belated Birthday, too." Purdey grinned whilst Mike's brain ran back 365 days. He hadn't forgotten that she'd only delivered half of her present the previous year. He just didn't want to appear unthankful. He leant forward pouting, expecting the second half of the gift to be similar to the first, but was left quite perplexed when a small sheet of paper was pushed into his hand. He looked down to consult the sheet, unfolding it quickly to read its contents.

_I OWE PURDEY TEN DINNERS OUT_

"I thought," he began, still studying the sheet, "that the idea was for _you_ to give _me _something."

"I am. It's a receipt for your debt," Purdey responded, pecking his cheek before taking another bite from her newly discovered favourite cake.

He watched her for a while, waiting for the woman to finish her cake. She amused him quite a bit. Sure, she was strong and she liked people to know that, but she could always be quite sweet... quite, quaint.

"I might have birthdays more often," Mike said with a smile, using a napkin to help wipe the cake debris from her chin. Purdey simply sighed at the act, shaking her head but reminding herself that it _was _his birthday, and that she should let him have his way. Even if it was only the one, sweet gesture. "Are you taken for dinner this evening?"

"Your treat?" she inquired, indicating the paper in his hand.

"My treat," he confirmed. He saw as her face glanced in the direction of the party food. It was Steed's idea of picky bits, so it was mainly canapés and mini desserts. Purdey was a traditionalist as far as birthday foods were concerned. Jelly and ice cream, blancmange and sausage rolls. "My treat," Mike repeated, taking a large bag of marshmallows from his sofa-bed side drawer. Purdey watched the bag like a frog to a fly, never letting it out of her sight. The pair turned away from the party, keeping the marshmallows well hidden, and through a fit of giggles, finished the whole bag off.

_Now it's a birthday party, _Mike thought with a smile.

* * *

THE END

Comment please, and all that jazz ;D Cheers for reading! x


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